Asian protests. North Thailand
? This is a guest post from Yuri Likrant.
Trip route:
Bangkok
There were fish in the hotel. In general, almost all more or less large reservoirs were supplied with fisheries, usually quite large ones.
Such a standard street, Pra Atit, was our home for almost 6 days.
Channels. Bangkok is located on the Chao Phraya River, and hundreds of canals are built around the city, and even more, apparently, are part of the sewage system. They say they used to drive on them, but the British preferred normal roads. We, in general, hardly used the channels either.
King Rama IX. 85 years, of which 50 years in power. Portraits of different sizes are everywhere, yellow flags (the color of the king) too. Almost a demigod, above all political strife. Billionaire ($ 35 billion).
A kind of local Berkut. He sits in such fenced-off locations, represents local authorities, usually not far from the protesters. I have never seen vigorous activity from them.
Ananta Samakom – the throne room. Compact and beautiful house in the western style. There is a lot of wood and gold inside. And also several dozen thrones of various calibers (gold by itself), several pseudo-historical handicrafts made of gold and wood.
Actually, the royal residence itself. They were not allowed outside the gates, but they showed where you can take pictures. The king pushed out of the city during the rallies, they do not concern him, of course, but cause an unpleasant aftertaste.
The beginning of the barricades. Around is empty, apparently not that day. Tires. Lots of tires.
We obviously did not have enough thorns on the Maidan.
Kind Thais distribute free food to everyone. A little, but tasty: rice with additives.
Tent town. Life is in full swing. Everyone watches TV. Food is being prepared nearby. Barbershop. The laundry is drying. Trade.
No one has heard of the laying of communications underground. The same tin is everywhere, sometimes you have to push the wires apart with your hands to get through.
What can I say, it’s beautiful.
It is unclear who and when put the cars on, but quite stylishly. A week later, this whole area was fenced off with concrete blocks, but for now there are still motorbikes snooping around.
Monument to Democracy. Actually close to it is the blocking zone by the protesters. It is symbolic.
At first, I kind of tried to take pictures of Buddhas, but then I noticed that all farangs do it and no one punishes them. So we started to insult the feelings of Thai believers …
Saranrom Park. In addition to fish, population limiters also live in reservoirs.
Outdoor exercise machine. A week later, I even rocked there, showing the strength of the Ukrainians.
The cats in Tae (especially in the south) are wild and hungry. But meek. It seems that they feed exclusively on what they catch / find, “domestic” cats are very rare.
Young coconuts were sold everywhere. I cannot say that I am delighted – some kind of water. Didn’t buy anymore.
Durian. The smell is rather faint, the taste would not say wow. Didn’t buy anymore. They say in a certain season it is fragrant and tastier, but not by much.
Here are similar layouts everywhere. I ate a lot of such frkuts, because they are cold and tasty. And inexpensive.
Farangi on foot massage. Pure water sealing.
These are the usual layouts of food. At least they don’t fry here.
Wall next to the Grand Palace.
Changing of the guard, apparently.
Big Palace. Crowds, crowds of tourists, entrance – 500 baht ($ 13). They did not like my breeches and made them wear pants 🙁
Yes, not only in Pisa.
Red-haired children are hot. However, they have no soul, so let them suffer & gt;: -]
Reminiscent of a Pirates of the Caribbean character.
Around the walls there are many drawings with the life of the ancestors.
Everyone should enter the temples only barefoot. I have never seen anyone violate or try to violate.
Here you can already feel the influence of Great Britain. There is an arsenal around the corner – there are already stupid 100% of weapons from Albion.
There are many small green islands everywhere.
Temple of the Reclining Buddha. Buddha. Lies. In the temple. I would be so at work ….
There is a constant ringing of coins in the temple. It turns out that there are several dozen peas in the back, where visitors can throw coins for good luck (108 pieces, like). Coins are sold / exchanged nearby.
And here is the fish …
There are stone balls in the mouths of the lions. It would be mysterious, but it is obvious that the lions are not made of solid stone, but some kind of concrete / cement.
We prayed and immediately take a picture. I still understand Europeans, but the Chinese are exactly the same! No respect for the feelings of believers.
Wat Arun. Tall thing. But inside, as elsewhere, there is nothing, whole.
The ladders are very steep. Some women are eager to go down 🙂
We rode on such a boat along the canals of the city.
To put it mildly, devastation. Although in some places and not bad. It’s scary to think how many mosquitoes there are in the evening.
Why not?
Bayok 2, or Sky Tower. Tallest building in Southeast Asia. More than 300m with a spire. And at the same time there is the highest restaurant, it seems even in the world.
At the top is a circular revolving platform. 84 floor. Height 250m.
Night view of the road junction.
Soup. Almost all the soups we met were spicy. If you really ask the cook / waiter, that is, you can, in other cases only with cold necks and a mountain of rice.
Sukhothai
Sukhothai airport. Provincial, small, but so cute 🙂
Sukhothai. New town. Essentially a village in the jungle. Not crowded.
This is how modern temples are built. Reinforced concrete. No romance.
There are many places where you don’t drink any signs at all. Thais drink a little, I think it’s more for tourists.
Our hotel was not one building, but many small bungalows with 2 rooms.
Breakfast. Of particular interest is the wild honey and the coconut stuff (right).
Old city map. Ruin. Ruin. All around are ruins.
The first ruin is a statue of Buddha (who else?) To see it – 50 baht. Everywhere, at all points (3 pieces) they took 50. If big / moto – then more.
Some kind of Thai, like. He said he was an archeologist. He also said that the city is about 700 years old, although some parts are probably older.
The main city (a large square on the map). Once it was the capital of the state of the same name.
I was told that the old city is big and the little legs will get tired. Therefore, he took great. Well, there is still gunpowder 🙂 Although there it would be possible to bypass everything without straining.
Almost everything has been restored to one degree or another. Thais do not like to keep picturesque ruins at all, they would not mind at all to repair everything to shine.
A group of monks. Probably newcomers. We went and took pictures.
We stumbled around the city until sunset, like it’s very cool (advised at the hotel). But not impressed.
I waited for the sunset. We were immediately warned that it should be beautiful, so I was looking for this beautiful angle 🙂
Chiang Mai
We stayed in Sukhothai for 1 day and took the bus further north.
Left an entry in the list of entries. Having previously thrown some donations. By the way, no one controls it, you can even take different things (sticks, water, gold), everything will remain on your karma.
At first I thought alive. Then – the mummy. Then I realized that the doll was a statue. And there are a lot of them in Chiang Mai.
Well, a lot.
A small site with statuses for contact. In order not to think for a long time.
Insects I haven’t seen them being fried. I have not seen the Thais eat them. I’ve only seen them in tourist spots. So I didn’t even try it, I don’t want the locals laughing at me.
And some more pseudo-mummies.
Nearby are bottles with real parts of the body: teeth there, hair, some threads, stones (kidneys?).
Local tuktuk, almost a gazelle.
In one of the temples.
Strawberry in February 🙂
The central street of the old city. On Sunday it turns into a bazaar … for tourists mostly.
Thailand is the birthplace of Red Bull. And there are many drinks with a similar taste and effect.
Staircase with 350 steps. Children’s babble 🙂 There is a funicular on the side for the especially lazy.
The Chinese are … almost like the Japanese 🙂
City and airport views.
We walked another 5 km up the hill from the temple (they looked at us as if we were sick). And there is the residence of the king and the botanical garden (mostly flowers). By the way, this is how you should do with old trees, and not make them trash ballerinas.
Greenhouse – juicy!
They made me wear pants and hide my shoulders. So I just went and bought some clothes (10-15 bucks) so as not to spoil the pictures.
The monk decided to farm some karma by taking pictures of Chinese women 🙂
On the topic of offerings: you toss a coin and get a speech from some monk. There is also a similar one, but like a roulette. Perhaps they even give predictions. It’s a pity none of the farangs can understand 🙁
As you said – you leave money, take sticks. Nobody is looking.
A regular market in Chiang Mai.
Secondhand somewhere in the Chiang Mai slums.
We decided to have dinner at a trendy salad restaurant. In general, somehow not very much, but there was a lot of greenery.
Feeding the fish. 100 baht = 30 minutes (3.3 bucks).
City gates.
Roosters. There are many of them everywhere. And screaming, bastards, constantly. In the morning, so generally for a break.
Library in the temple. Not without magazines 🙂
Ronald in Asia is a little different from ours -_-
Bangkok
Unfortunately, tickets for the Chiang Mai – Bangkok night train could not be bought (there were only sedentary ones). So we bought it for a plane – 100 bucks, 800 km.
There is an overground metro from Suvarnabhumi (Bangkok Airport) to the city center. This is what a token looks like. It is reusable, the source and destination stations are registered in it. At the exit, the turnstile eats it up.
The views are very good, which I took advantage of. Typical buildings, unlike the Khrushchevs)
This is closer to the business center. High-rise buildings.
Ayutthaya
From Bangkok immediately took a bus to Ayutthaya. It is 100 km to the north, the old capital of the country. Was ousted and plundered in the war with Burma 250 years ago. Before that, it was the largest city on Earth (1 million people).
Wat Yai Chai Mongkol.
At the top of the pagoda is a room with Buddhas. The offering box is available.
Do not climb !!!!
Wat Mahathat. And the famous face in the roots. Nearby there is a micro-fence, a warning not to touch and a bench for those taking pictures.
There are many places of this kind that support the collapsing structures. What can you do, the brick is unreliable …
Wat Rat Praditthan. This pagoda (prang) can be seen very from afar (35 m). It is a pity that it is partially covered with a repair film.
That day there was a motorbike very toasted by the sun and a pipe (a big burn on the leg). Therefore, my strength quickly depleted and I did not visit everything, I did not run around everything and did not take pictures of everything 🙁
Wat Phrasisanphet. Wat belonged directly to the royal family, and no monks lived in it. Wat was used exclusively for ceremonies with the participation of the king. Nearby is the restored palace, which was already closed 🙁
Plan of Wat Phrasisanphet. A lot of dust.
Bangkok
Small roller in Wat Saket. The only one of its kind that I have met in 10 days.
Wat Saket. High temple like a mountain with spiral rises on the sides. Judging by the tablet – an epic long-term construction (a lot of Ram has flown under the bridge since its foundation). A good view opens from the top.
Soup and rice, as always. Dima’s request “little spicy” plunged him into hellfire)))
In Thai culture / religion, a threshold protects a home from evil spirits. It cannot be stepped on and is quite tall everywhere. Even near the base of the protesters.
I could not resist, I bought a cake in the market 🙂
Karaoke in support of the protesters))
Traffic in Bangkok. Motobikes with Thais in uniform – like a taxi. This is what we used most of the time. On average, they want from 50 to 250 baht, depending on the distance, but I think you can always bargain. And if not to bargain, then 400.
Night Siam (area of the city).
There is a small fort next to our hotel near the river – part of the old fortifications. The guns are in stock.
Bangkok standard string. “Aby stood.”
Somewhere near Siam there is a temple with a cowshed. Some monk buys cows from farmers, feeds them for a year, and then pledges not to kill them. Like kind. Food in this barn for the money for the visitors.
Lumpine Park. The last stronghold of the protesters at the moment. Half of the park is a camping site where thousands of them sleep. And so – a lot of tracks, a couple of skaters, wellers and runners.
As I already wrote, there are a lot of large fish in reservoirs (food for them is sold nearby). And fish attracts monitor lizards. They catch her, thereby attracting crows who are trying to reward. Such a cycle of life.
The composition is called “A Woman in the Next 30 Years”. It is symbolic.
In the Siam Center.
Art object.
Large touch screen.
At the entrances to the zone of rallies, the local self-defense hunters everyone passing by: checks their bags, sometimes paws. Everyone: women, children, old people … but not farangs))) A pale face is the best pass!
Thai, owner of a shop that makes the most delicious necks. “And few lemon, ok?”
Come to Bangkok, you will love it!